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FROM MOSCOW WITH LOVEMoscow has witnessed a glittering and glamorous makeover of late, while staying true to its long-standing literary and cultural heritage, writes Kiki Deere

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At nightfall the city takes on a new appearance, cloaked in a layer of glowing lights. The Kremlin is lit up against the night sky, its imposing towers with ruby stars gleaming aside the Moscow River. Close by is the capital’s most elegant building, home to one

of the world’s most famous opera and ballet stages in the world: the Bolshoi Theatre.

Closed for six years for major renovations, the theatre finally reopened its doors in 2011, re-establishing its former glory. The theatre as I see it now (three of the previous theatre buildings were razed by fire) opened its doors on 20 October 1856 on Tsar Alexander II’s coronation day. I stand outside the floodlit building, admiring the impressive neoclassical façade with its sculpture depicting Apollo driving the chariot of the sun. From the vestibule within, magnificent staircases lead up to the foyer. Watching a performance in the main auditorium, with its royal box hung with crimson velvet and beautiful painted panels depicting Apollo dancing with the nine muses, is a truly unforgettable experience—not least because I am here to watch a performance by the world’s most acclaimed ballet company.

In daylight, I find the theatre to look equally as grand, yet this time I am drawn to the city’s most iconic landmark: the Kremlin. Across the street lies the imposing Resurrection Gate, with its twin red towers with green spires. Red Square opens up in front of me, Lenin’s sombre mausoleum to my right, somewhat contrasting with the lively and colourful domes of St Basil’s Cathedral, which also lies ahead, with an equally colourful history. Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible, who commissioned the cathedral in 1552, had the building’s architect blinded so he would never construct such an intricately graceful building again (given that the tsar’s nickname was no exaggeration, there may be some truth in this legend).

Ticket in hand, I make my way to the Kremlin, the citadel of the

tsars and the symbol of power of the State. In the 15th century, Ivan the Terrible commissioned Italian masters to reconstruct the original kremlin (kremlin translates to citadel). The ensemble houses a series of magnificent buildings, including pretty onion-domed cathedrals and the Armoury Chamber, which displays sumptuous imperial collections, ceremonial vestments, gold and silver relics and an astounding collection of Fabergé eggs.

Overlooking the Kremlin and Red Square is the exclusive Ritz-Carlton hotel, its luxurious interior featuring 19th century Russian Imperialist style décor. The hotel’s chic rooftop bar, the O2 Lounge, with superb panoramic views, has red velvet cocoon chairs that are made to resemble the jewelled Fabergé eggs made for the Russian imperial family.

Running along the Kremlin’s southern wall is the Moscow River that flows through the city, its icy waters often frozen over in the depths of winter. I cross the bridge to the other side, and find myself in Zamoskvorechye, a quaint district that has still largely retained its original buildings (the beautiful Church of the Resurrection of Kadashi a telling example), unlike other parts of central Moscow, that are mostly dominated by Soviet architecture. I pass the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski, with its well-appointed rooms and elegant suites offering wonderful views of the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral. Zamoskvorechye is home to the nation’s most important collection of Russian art, and the world’s largest at the State Tretyakov Gallery, founded by wealthy merchant Pavel Tretyakov in 1856.

Deciding to cross the river once again, I head over the pedestrian bridge that leads to the imposing Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, with its beautiful central dome adorned with frescoes, rebuilt in the 1990s at a total cost of over US$200 million. The original cathedral was blown up under Stalin’s orders in favour of the Palace of the Soviets, which was

Previous page: The iconic Red Square at night. Above: Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, the setting of the city’s large-scale ballet and opera performances.

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never constructed due to the area’s swampy subsoil—in its place an outdoor swimming pool was opened in 1959. The area is also home to the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, housing a peerless collection of works from antiquity until the 19th century.

I am soon drawn a few blocks south-west to the evocative Tolstoy House Museum, where the novelist spent his winters between 1882 and 1901 and where he penned his final novel Resurrection. The ground floor dining room is neatly laid with crockery, while eminent guests including opera singer Feodor Chaliapin, whose house museum is in nearby Smolenskaya, once frequented the first floor salon. Russia’s rich literary and musical heritage gives rise to a plethora of individual house museums, including those of Romantic poet and novelist Mikhail Lermontov, pianist and composer Aleksandr Skryabin, author Anton Chekhov and novelist Mikhail Bulgakov, whose masterpiece The Master and Margarita, a satire of Stalinist Russia, was only published in the mid 1960s, more than 25 years after his death.

That evening I dine at Café Pushkin, one of the city’s most sophisticated restaurants named after Aleksandr Pushkin, who is considered by many to be the founder of modern Russian literature. The restaurant mansion recalls the days when the writer lived in the city, with a welcoming library room and wonderful views over Tverskoy Bulvar, particularly evocative on a winter’s day when the boulevard is covered in a thick blanket of snow. The menu features Russian favourites such as blini (pancakes) with caviar and beef stroganoff.

Undoubtedly one of the positives of the Moscow dining scene is the sheer quantity of restaurants from former Soviet republics, all offering an eclectic mix of regional cuisine rich in fresh herbs and spices. Georgian food is probably the most popular, featuring a range of dishes with creamy walnut sauces such as satsivi (cold turkey

Above: Kievskaya, one of the city’s iconic metro stations. Below: Café Pushkin, an antique-�lled dining room with a typically Russian menu.

The capital’s dining scene caters to all tastes, and in recent years celebrity chef restaurants have taken the city by storm. The elegant Lotte Hotel, with its spacious guestrooms and state-of-the-art facilities, is home to three-Michelin-star chef Pierre Gagnaire’s Les Menus, offering classical French cuisine with a modern interpretation. Within the hotel is also Megu, featuring superb modern fusion Japanese cuisine.

For a digestif, I stroll down Tverskaya Street, one of the city’s main arteries, to the sought-after Noor Bar, where award-winning mixologists shake up imaginative cocktails that are among the city’s best. Moscow is undoubtedly home to some of the world’s best nightlife, with glitzy bars and clubs catering to the city’s elite. My friends invite me to the exclusive Soho Rooms, attracting Moscow’s glitterati, who party here until the early hours. Spread over three floors, the club features onyx and marble, along with a glittering crystal chandelier and gleaming disco balls in the clubroom. The rooftop veranda, with a

swimming pool, places the club a level above the rest in the city. The modish club Krysha Mira (literally “Roof of the World”) features an equally stylish top-floor deck with views over the Moscow River, which is particularly emotive at sunrise when the city is bathed in a pink hue. As we later wind through traffic, the streets around me continue to hum with life, Moscow’s decadent nightlife scene going on well beyond daybreak and exceeding—not rivalling—New York’s famed 24/7 lifestyle.

Barashka (novikovgroup.ru/restaurants/barashka); Bolshoi Theatre (bolshoi.ru/en); Café Ararat (moscow.park.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining /CafeArarat.html); Café Pushkin (cafe-pushkin.ru); Kremlin (kreml.ru/en-Us/museums-moscow-kremlin); Krysha Mira (kryshamira.ru); Lotte Hotel (lottehotel.com); Noor Bar (+7 903 136-76-86); Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (arts-museum.ru); Ritz-Carlton Hotel (ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Moscow); Russia National Tourist Office (visitrussia.org.uk ); Soho Rooms (sohorooms.com);

State Tretyakov Gallery (tretyakovgallery.ru/en);

Tolstoy House Museum (tolstoymuseum.ru)

Left, top-bottom: Les Menus at the Lotte hotel; a suite at the Ritz-Carlton looking out towards Red Square. Below: O2 Lounge.

served in a walnut sauce) and badrijani (aubergines wrapped around a walnut paste). It is Georgia that gave birth to wine production over 8,000 years ago, where the traditional winemaking method of using clay jars continues to be practised today. The 2006 Russian ban on Georgian wines and mineral water was lifted in 2013, and Georgian wines have deservedly once again found their place in Russian shops and restaurants. The restaurant Barashka, with its minimalist yet stylish interior, offers excellent Azerbaijani dishes that have been adapted to western palates. Moscow is also home to exceptional Armenian and Uzbek restaurants, most with striking Central Asian décor. Café Ararat within the elegant Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel is decorated with traditional Armenian carvings. Fresh ingredients are flown in several times a week from Armenia; the menu features an extensive selection of grilled meat and fish dishes, luscious desserts and fine Armenian cognacs.

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